Only way for Taliban is to join peace process: Russia

Kabul: The only way left for Taliban militant group is to join the peace process in Afghanistan, Russian Special Envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov has said.

“Taliban don’t have any ways other than going through this address; they have many internal problems and are divided into different groups,” Kabulov said on Monday.

Kabulov made the remarks during a meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul. Ghani thanked Russia for its cooperation and recent military assistance, Tolo news agency reported.

Kabulov said that “the message of Russia is that the only address for peace talks is the government of Afghanistan.”

He believes that the Taliban has internal issues and is split into different factions. He said the Taliban is not a capable force despite its show of power.

Kabulov said that President Vladimir Putin was concerned over the activities of Islamic State in Afghanistan, but Putin has also praised the Afghan government’s efforts in fighting this phenomenon — especially in eastern parts of the country.

A week ago, Russia delivered 10,000 AK-47s as the part of its military assistance to Afghanistan.
IANS